"Tofauti kati ya 'in office', 'in the office', na 'at the office' kwa Kiingereza"

Baada ya kuchapisha makala yangu kuhusu matumizi ya in/at school, msomaji mmoja aliniuliza tofauti kati ya „in office“ na „at office“.

Kwa kawaida tungeweza kusema ama in the office au at the office (zingatia matumizi ya kiambishi). Kiunganishi „in“ katika sentensi „I am in the office“ kinaashiria kwamba ofisi ni chumba na uko ndani ya chumba hicho. Neno „at“ kwa upande mwingine linaelezea dhana ya jumla ya eneo na mara nyingi linaweza kubadilishwa na „at work“. Kwa muhtasari:

I am in my/the office. = My office is a room and I am in that room.

I am at my/the office. = I am somewhere near my office or in it; I am at work.

In office (bila kiambishi) ina maana tofauti kabisa. Tunaposema kwamba mtu yuko „in office“, tunamaanisha kwamba anafanya kazi katika nafasi rasmi, kawaida kwa serikali. Kwa mfano, tunaweza kusema:

Bill Clinton was in office from 1993 to 2001.

tunapozungumzia kipindi chake cha urais.

Toleo la at office (bila kiambishi) halitumiki mara kwa mara. Ikiwa una hamu ya kusema „at office“, ni bora kusema „at the office“:

I am not at the office right now.

I am not at office right now.

Hapa kuna mifano mingine kwa mchanganyiko wote unaowezekana:

I was in the office when you called.

She is not at the office today.

He has been in office for over ten years.

They will be at the office tomorrow morning.

Ifuatayo:

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"At school" vs. "in school" katika Kiingereza cha Uingereza na Marekani